


Faded

by t_dragon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, Child Death, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, MerMay, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, Temporary Character Death, Transformation, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:45:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18978952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon
Summary: Where are you now?Was it all in my fantasy?Were you only imaginary?So lost, I'm faded





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a really dark story, like really. Yes, it's happy ending, but the way there is long and winding and just as dark as the depths of sea- okay, I'll stop.  
> But if you don't want to read angst and maybe cry, you should probably close this down now...

_  “Mommy! Please, no, mommy!” _

_  But the pleads go unheard as the boy is once more pushed beneath the surface. He tries to fight against the hold, against the fingers fisted into his hair, he tries to claw at the soft skin to get her to release him, but it is useless. _

_  The grip is unrelenting. _

_  He tries to hold his breath, he tries so hard, even as his lungs are screaming for air. But in the end, his need to stay alive wins over his panic to stay alive. And he opens his mouth, tries to scream, but only bubbles of air leaves his mouth as the cold, murky water enters his throat. _

_  The salty water tastes horrible, it scratches his throat raw, and he chokes, trying to expel the water again, but of course, nothing helps. _

_  Dark spots begin to dance in front of his eyes, fingers slipping against the hand holding him down, and he knows that this is it. Unless he is pulled back up right now, this is his last few moments of life. _

_  And it feels so unfair. It feels so unfair that he is about to die right now. Not even thirteen winters into his life, not even given a real chance to actually live, and now he is dying. _

_  The salty tears mix with the salty water as he feels his consciousness fade, along with his fighting spirit. And as he cease to move, the hand wrapped in his hair loosens its hold, letting him slowly sink to the bottom, leaving only a few strands of black hair in his mother’s hand. _

_  His mother, the person who was meant to protect him, is still hanging over the edge of the pier and looking down at him as he slowly settles down onto the sand beneath him. And even though he can just barely see her, nothing more than a dark shadow through the water and the death creeping into his body, he knows that she is not regretful. It might have felt better, then, if she had regretted this. If her love for him had made her feel bad. But no. She is not remorseful. She is just coldly watching him die. _

_  Watching her own son drown in the cold sea. _

_  And he hates her so much. Much more than he knew you could hate a person. _

_  During his last seconds of life, he feels rage fill his veins, filling him with a terrible warmth, and then, a gentle embrace, as if the ocean is holding him and welcoming him. _

_  Then everything turned black, and the little boy lying on the bottom of the sea died. _


	2. I

 The sea was angry, and extremely so. Raging around their suddenly seemingly so frail ship, throwing wave after wave over it and roaring, it was quite easy to see that she was upset.

 Why, though, Jongin had no idea. The storm seemed to have come out of nowhere, the sky being clear at one moment, then dark grey and spitting even more water onto them the next.

 He had no time to wonder over the sea’s fury, though, as he fought to help with securing the ship, and - more importantly - stay  _ on _ the ship.

 “Jongin!”

 A panicked scream was heard, and Jongin only had time to turn and look into a pair of horrified eyes, before a large, unsecured box hit him, making him stumble towards the railing and fall over.

 Immediately, the sea embraced him, tearing at him and throwing him back and forth. At one point, he was thrown back against the ship, back and head colliding with the large wooden hull. He lost consciousness for the barest of moments, but it was enough.

 When the darkness cleared, he was already far beneath the surface. Even as he tried to stretch his arms out, he knew it was futile. His lungs were already filling with water, making him sink even faster.

 This was not the first time Jongin had gone underwater and almost drowned, but it was sure to be his last. He did not have the power to get back to the surface, and the storm was still raging above, making any rescue attempts impossible.

 No, Jongin was set to die here, and even as he felt panic fill his veins, he also felt oddly calm about it. After all, first and foremost he was a sailor, and what better way to go out than in the embrace of the sea?

 Well, apart from being seduced by a mermaid or siren and lured to his death, but Jongin was half sure that those were just myths.

 Eyelids growing heavy as death began to spread its chill through his veins, Jongin just barely noticed the dark shape heading for him. Had someone else fallen in? He just hoped it was not his brother…

 But no… The shape did not move like a person… A dolphin?

 It quickly came closer, and Jongin tried to stay awake to see what it was, but it was so hard… Darkness was taking over, and the next time he blinked, he barely managed to open his eyes again.

 When he did, though, he was met by a pair of large, owl-like eyes, dark like the ocean around them, and cold. Oh, so cold - but at the same time curious.

 Maybe mermaids did exist, after all. Jongin smiled as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him - a bit cold and almost  _ slimy _ -feeling, but still nice - and as he finally lost his consciousness, he felt himself being dragged away.

 

 Something was hurting so bad…

 No, wait, everything was hurting bad. His body felt like it had been beaten to a pulp, his head felt like it had been split open, and his throat and lungs… They were almost the worst, raw and stinging and feeling as if they were on fire.

 Choking, Jongin turned over onto his side and heaved whatever of the salty water that he had left out of his lungs onto the ground beneath him. Bile soon followed, the pain making him throw up as well.

 When he was done, he collapsed back onto his back, breathing ragged as he tried to rub the salt from his eyes.

 Yes, nearly drowning was horrible business.

 Wait. Nearly drowning?

 Eyes flying open, Jongin began to pat himself down. He was wet, but on dry land, and somewhat in one piece. How in the goddess name had that happened?!

 Then it came back to him, a murky image of large, dark eyes… Had it really been a mermaid? A mermaid that had saved him?

 Rolling over onto his side, Jongin scrambled up onto his knees, looking around. He barely noticed the hiss slipping from his own lips as he cut his hand on a part of the sandy cliff that he was crawling over as he tried to get over to the where he could see the sea.

 And as he fell down by the edge, head and shoulders poking out over it, Jongin could see the top of a head, and those large eyes he remembered. In the better lights, he could see that they were not dark as he had previously thought, but a kind of deep blue-green that reminded him of the sea on a beautiful day. But they still seemed cold, and distant.

 “Did you save me?” Jongin asked, voice so hoarse that it was barely more than a whisper.

 The person in the water seemed to hesitate for a moment, before it gave a slight nod, water moving around it and black hair falling into those beautiful eyes.

 Black hair that, when hit by light, shimmered in blue and green. How peculiar…

 “Thank you,” Jongin breathed, smiling softly as he stuck his hand into the water. “ _ Thank you _ . But may I ask why?”

 Those eyes widened slightly, making them look even more owl-like, and Jongin found this adorable. Then the person rose slightly out of the water, revealing a nose and a pair of plush lips. And that it was a mer _ man _ , not mermaid, like Jongin had previously thought.

 “I don’t know,” the man whispered, voice deeper than Jongin would have thought, and a bit raspy. As if he had swallowed too much salt water.

 Jongin gave a low chuckle that ended in a cough, as it tore through his sore throat.

 “Then I have to thank you even more, since it seems like it is an unusual thing for you to do. I feel quite blessed, actually,” Jongin said, grinning even wider. “I am indebted to you, but I do not mind since you saved my life.”

 The blue-tinted, full lips quirked into the barest of smiles, but it was still there, making those cold eyes seem a bit softer and a bit warmer. Jongin felt like he wanted to make the merman smile even more.

 “It is fine.”

 And Jongin  _ definitely _ wanted to hear more of that amazing voice.

 “Are you a merman?” Jongin suddenly asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

 Which was probably a stupid move, since those eyes froze over, like ice across the winter sea, and the man backed away. Swam back. Moved. Whatever.

 “No, wait!” Jongin called, holding his hand out. “I am sorry! I do not want to hurt you, I promise. It is my first time meeting a merman, I thought you were just the stuff of legends, scary tales told to keep sailors careful. I promise, I mean you no harm, you have my word.”

 Hesitantly, the man slowly inched forwards again, a little bit closer this time, and Jongin smiled.

 “You saved my life, I will not repay you in harm,” he said, hoping the man would hear the sincerity in his voice. “I am just… curious.”

 His head lowered into the water again, to the point where only his eyes were above the surface, the man slowly began to move forwards again. Jongin gasped as he felt something cool slide against his hand that was still in the water, and he felt fingers loosely wrap around his own. They felt like he remembered the arms had felt around him, as he had been pulled out of the depth - cool and a bit slimy, but not uncomfortably so.

 Slowly, oh, so slowly, Jongin raised their linked hands, eyes glancing over to the merman’s every now and then, making sure he did not do something bad. The merman seemed slightly hesitant, but did not stop it, so neither did Jongin.

 Finally, their hands were out of the water, and Jongin could take a good look at the merman’s. It was pale, almost translucent, and tinted blue like the skin of a freezing man. Jongin could faintly see the veins beneath the skin, and gently, he traced them with his thumb.

 “Amazing,” Jongin mumbled, transfixed by the merman in front of him. “Do you… Uhm, do you have a tail? With fins and everything?”

 The merman raised an eyebrow - slightly, but enough to be noticeable - and he seemed a bit more amused by Jongin now, instead of apprehensive. Pulling his hand out of Jongin’s grip - the latter feeling a strange sense of loss - he slid down beneath the surface, and for a moment, Jongin thought that he would disappear.

 Then something flew out of the water, sending a mini tsunami over the edge of the cliff and Jongin. Spluttering and dragging a hand over his face to get rid of the water, it took a few seconds before Jongin could see again, and when he did, he was stunned.

 Floating on his back in the sea was the merman, his entire body visible, including the long, beautiful tail where his legs were supposed to be. It was incredibly beautiful, formed like nothing Jongin had ever seen before. The tail fin was long and sweeping, the feathery ends prominent as they undulated beneath the surface. It shimmered in various shades of blue and green, marbled with deep purple, a deep purple that was mirrored in the long, spiky fin rays extending from the merman’s hips, as well as on the silver-edged dark blue scales covering the tail.

 But what got to Jongin the most was not the merman’s beautiful tail, or the lightly marbled skin covering him. No, it was the cute smile on his lips, a pair of lips that formed a-

 “Heart,” Jongin blurted out. “Your lips, they form a heart when you smile.”

 Immediately, the merman’s face fell, smile disappearing as his fingers came up to touch them.

 “No, no, do not worry! It is beautiful! You have a really beautiful smile!” Jongin rushed out, once more holding his hand out towards the merman. “Once more, I am sorry, I did not mean to embarrass you or anything like that. Please, do not go. Do not leave me alone.”

 The merman’s body disappeared down into the dark water again as he got upright, and slowly he swam forwards, towards Jongin, until he was by the cliffside just beneath Jongin. The sailor could just move his hand a few centimeters to the left in the water, and he would have been able to touch the merman, but he held himself back, not wanting to risk anything.

 “I will not leave you, not until you are safe,” the merman said, his low voice washing over Jongin and making him relax. “I saved you, so why would I leave you without knowing you will be fine?”

 “Maybe I will manage to scare you away by being too straightforward and awkward,” Jongin said, grinning a bit, and the merman gave a small smile - not enough to form a heart, but close.

 “I would not leave you, though. I would stay a bit away, watch over you, make sure you were fine,” the merman mumbled. “I am just… unaccustomed to humans. It has been a long time since I talked to one.”

 Jongin placed his free hand on the cliff and put his chin on top of it, making him lie down a bit more comfortable. As comfortable as one could be on top of a cold, craggy cliff, at least.

 “I do not mind you not being accustomed to speaking to humans, I do not mind if I am the only one you are accustomed to speak to,” he said, and even as he felt the slight blush creep across his cheeks, he did not care. Especially not since he saw the slight blush on top of the merman’s cheeks too, a cool rosy tone that looked absolutely charming.

 Until the merman sank down beneath the surface again, only eyes and top of head visible above. A pair of air bubbles formed on the surface, and Jongin frowned.

 “Did you just try to say something?” he asked, and the merman bashfully nodded, before leaning his head back so his mouth would get out of the water.

 “I said that I do not mind you being the only human I am accustomed to speak to, since you are the kindest human I have ever met,” the merman said, voice so soft that Jongin barely heard it above the water against stone.

 Jongin was sure he was seconds away from turning into a puddle on top of the cliff, melting at the adorableness the merman exhibited. He was also sure that the smile on his lips was too large for it to not look strange, but he did not care.

 The merman did not seem to mind, if the small smile on his own lips was any indication.

 Their happy little bubble was soon broken, though, by the sound of yelling voices. Jongin’s head snapped up as he heard a familiar one, the relief filling him pierced by disappointment.

 Looking down at the merman, Jongin noticed how he had already sunk a bit deeper into the ocean, face partially turned away in the direction from where the voices were coming.

 “Can I see you again?” Jongin hurriedly asked, not even caring about the desperation clearly discernible in his voice.

 Surprise widened the merman’s already large eyes as he turned back towards Jongin, a shade of hesitancy over them as he worried a full lower lip. It was somewhat mesmerizing.

 “Okay,” was the whisper finally slipping through lips, and Jongin was taken aback.

 He had hoped that would be the answer, but he had not dared believe it actually would be. Even though this being had saved him, Jongin realized that it was something unusual for him, so why would he even agree to seeing Jongin again?

 “Okay… Okay!” Jongin echoed, most surely beaming in happiness, and it seemed to chase away some of the shadows inside of the merman’s eyes. “There is a cove near the castle-”

 “I know where it is, yes,” the merman said, smiling softly. “I will wait for you there.”

 Jongin nodded, and then the merman began to sink into the depths, but Jongin still had one last thing to say.

 “Wait!” he called out, dripping hand held out towards the merman, who stopped. “Thank you. For saving me. I will forever be indebted to you…”

 The merman seemed to pick up on Jongin’s hesitance, how there was something missing from Jongin’s sentence, and he once more smiled.

 “Kyungsoo.”

 “Thank you, Kyungsoo,” Jongin exhaled, smiling. “For both rescuing me and giving me your name. Mine is Jongin.”

 As another loud call of Jongin’s name was heard, the merman’s smile turned a bit impish, eyes sparkling like the moonlight reflecting in the surface of the sea.

 “Evidently, it would seem like that,” he teased - and then he was gone, leaving Jongin lying on top of the cliff, staring into the depths to try to discern anything.

 It was a lost cause, and Jongin sighed softly, before sitting up and responding to the calls of his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all wonder what Kyungsoo's tail fin looks like, it's based on a betta crowntail, and the long, spiky fin rays are like the ones lionfish has, you know the pointy stuff? Yeh!  
> (All merpeople have tail fins based on betta tail fins because they're so insanely pretty uwu)


End file.
